The Case of the Killer Scone
(2026)(The first book in the Ruby Hartwell Cozy Mystery series)
A novel by Pamela Gunn
In Pinewood, Louisiana, even breakfast can bite back.
Ruby Hartwell’s mornings usually involve plants, caffeine, and mild pandemonium—not a man slumped face-first into his plate at Pinewood’s Busy Bee Café. But when this slippery real estate agent drops dead mid-bite, Ruby’s quiet morning blooms into full-blown chaos.
As the town’s go-to plant expert, Ruby knows plenty about things that can kill if mishandled—knowledge that suddenly makes her very interesting to law enforcement.
With her snarky best friend providing unfiltered commentary, a drama-loving gossip stirring up the whole town, and her beloved mutt, Moxie, narrowly surviving the same toxin, Ruby falls deeper into a mystery she can’t ignore.
Of course, in Pinewood, motive is never in short supply. The victim left behind a brooding electrician with a gap in his alibi, a former assistant with a long memory, and a quiet cat rescuer who knows far more about the dead man than she’s admitting. In a town built on sweet tea and secrets, everyone seems to be cultivating something toxic.
Funny, fast-paced, and impossible to put down—The Case of the Killer Scone is the perfect read for anyone who likes their mysteries with a side of Southern charm.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Ruby Hartwell’s mornings usually involve plants, caffeine, and mild pandemonium—not a man slumped face-first into his plate at Pinewood’s Busy Bee Café. But when this slippery real estate agent drops dead mid-bite, Ruby’s quiet morning blooms into full-blown chaos.
As the town’s go-to plant expert, Ruby knows plenty about things that can kill if mishandled—knowledge that suddenly makes her very interesting to law enforcement.
With her snarky best friend providing unfiltered commentary, a drama-loving gossip stirring up the whole town, and her beloved mutt, Moxie, narrowly surviving the same toxin, Ruby falls deeper into a mystery she can’t ignore.
Of course, in Pinewood, motive is never in short supply. The victim left behind a brooding electrician with a gap in his alibi, a former assistant with a long memory, and a quiet cat rescuer who knows far more about the dead man than she’s admitting. In a town built on sweet tea and secrets, everyone seems to be cultivating something toxic.
Funny, fast-paced, and impossible to put down—The Case of the Killer Scone is the perfect read for anyone who likes their mysteries with a side of Southern charm.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Used availability for Pamela Gunn's The Case of the Killer Scone